After the whirlwind of emotions at school, Aella welcomed the familiar comfort of her parents' café. It was a small, cozy space tucked into the corner of town, lined with shelves full of books and the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air. Helping out at the café always brought her a sense of peace, a quiet escape from the chaos of high school life.
As soon as she walked through the door, she felt her shoulders relax. Her mom was behind the counter, smiling warmly as usual. "Rough day?" she asked, her voice filled with motherly concern.
"Just the usual drama," Aella replied with a shrug, making her way to the reception desk where she often helped out after school. She took her usual spot, glancing out at the customers quietly reading or sipping their drinks.
The bell above the door chimed, signaling a new arrival. Aella looked up, only to see a guy she didn’t recognize walk in. He looked about her age, maybe a little older, with striking blue eyes and a muscular build that made him stand out. His presence seemed to draw attention, though he appeared casual, glancing around the café as if it were his first time there.
He strolled up to the counter, leaning slightly as he studied the menu overhead. After a moment, he caught Aella’s eye and grinned. "I’ll have an iced latte… with chocolate chips on top."
Aella raised an eyebrow, unable to stop herself from teasing. "What are you, five?"
The guy’s grin widened, clearly unfazed by her remark. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to make her heart skip a beat. "No," he said smoothly, "I'm the guy who’ll make five kids with you."
Aella’s face flushed instantly, heat rising to her cheeks despite her best efforts to play it cool. She wasn’t easily embarrassed, but there was something about the confidence in his tone that completely threw her off guard. "Excuse me?" she managed to stammer, her mind racing to keep up with his flirtatious remark.
He chuckled softly, clearly amused by her reaction. "Relax," he said, leaning back with an easy smile. "Just messing with you. But if you want that to be an offer, we can talk later."
Aella rolled her eyes, trying to regain her composure, though the warmth in her cheeks betrayed her. "You wish."
The guy’s smirk never wavered as he handed her the cash for his order. "Maybe I do," he said casually, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he turned to find a seat.
Aella watched him go, her heart still racing from the unexpected exchange. She wasn’t sure what to make of him—his boldness, his charm—it all left her feeling off-balance. She handed the order slip to her mom, who raised an eyebrow at her daughter’s slightly flustered state.
"New customer?" her mom asked with a knowing smile.
Aella shook her head, trying to shake off the lingering embarrassment. "Yeah. Just another flirt," she muttered, glancing over to where the guy had taken a seat near the bookshelves.
As she busied herself with work, she couldn’t help but sneak glances at him every so often. He was browsing through a book, his focus shifting between the pages and his iced latte. There was something about him that was different from the other guys she knew—something about the way he carried himself, confident but not in the arrogant way that Grayson often did.
After a few minutes, the guy caught her looking and gave her a wink. Aella quickly looked away, silently cursing herself for being so obvious.
For the rest of her shift, she couldn’t shake the thought of their brief interaction. Who was this guy? He was definitely new to town—she would’ve remembered if she’d seen him before. And that comment… no one had ever been that forward with her before.
YOU ARE READING
RIVALS IN THE HALLWAYS
Lãng mạn"Aella and Grayson were inseparable as kids, the perfect duo-until middle school hit. What once was friendship turned into fierce rivalry, with both determined to outshine the other at every turn. Now in high school, their competition has only heate...
